Registering and canceling ballot-box.



Patented Mar. 5, |901.

E. K, ToLMAN. REGISTERING AND CANCELING BALLOTvBOX.

(Application led Dec. 14, 1899.)

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No. 669,|90. Patented Mar. 5, |90I.v E. K. TOLMAN.

BEGISTERING AND CNCELING BALLOT BOX.

(Application filed Dec. 14, 1899.)

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UNrTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD K. TOLMAN, OF VVORCES'FER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSlGNOR OF TWO- HIRDS TO GEORGE H. FERNALD AND ALFRED S. PINKERTON, OF SAME PLACE.

REGISTERING AND CANCELING BALLOT-BOX.

SPEGBFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,190, dated March 5, 1901.

Application filed December 14, 1899. Serial No. 740,256. dto model.)

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Be it known that I, EDWARD K. TOLMAN,y a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Registering and Canceling lallot-Boxeaof which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings, forming a part of the same, in which-'- Figure 1 represents a top View of a ballotbox embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. l. Fig. eis an end view with the end portion of the frame removed, and Fig. 5 is a detached View of a portion of the mechanism for operating the registering device.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figures. A

My invention relates to a ballot-box adapted to receive, cancel,and register ballots; and it consists in certain improvements in the op* crating mechanism by which the eiiiciency of thebox is increased, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the annexed claims.

The ballot-boX forming the subject of my present invention is an improvement u pon the ballotbox shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 503,626, granted to me August 22, 1893, and in Letters Patent of the United States No. 528,191, granted to me October 30, 1894.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a framework supporting the operative mechanism and mounted upon a box or case B,(partly shown,`) which is open at the top for the reception of the ballots after they have been canceled and registered, as hereinafter described.

A/ denotes a feed-board upon which the ballot is placed face downward and pushed endwise through a contracted space beneath a fixed guard-rail A2. As the ballot is pushed forward it passes over the forward end of a lower pivoted guard-plate A3, which is attached to a spindle A4, journaled in the frame of the machine and beneath the forward member A5 of an upper pivoted V-shaped guardplate A6, attached to a spindle A6, journaled in the Aframe of the machine. The ballot passes beneath the free ends of clieclplates A7, which are pivoted on the spindle AGFL and provided with teeth A8 to prevent the return movement of the ballot. The forward movementof the balloton the feed-board also carries it beneath the rear member A9 of the Vshaped guard-plate A, thereby tilting the V-shaped guard-plate and carrying` the `forward member A5 down against the ballot, as shown by 6o the broken lines A10. The ballot is pushed forward until its edge enters between the drum O and a weighted friction-roller C', when the rotation of the drum, by means of a crank applied to its shaft C2, causes the ballot to be drawn forward and its advancing edge entered between the periphery of the drum C and a sheet-metal band O3,with its ends hooked over the rocking spindles CU1 and C5 and held concentrically with the periphery ol' the 7c drum C, thereby causing the ballot as itis car ried forward to lie closely against the peripheryof the drum. The spindle Oisjournaledin the framework and is provided with a pair of curved fingers OG, which extend into circumfel-ential grooves or openings C' in the drum C. The spindle C4 is also provided with an arm C8, which projects over the rear end of the lower tilting guard-plate A3. Spindle C5 is also journaled in the frame and is provided 8o with fingers C9, which extend into circumferential grooves or openings C10 of the drum C, with their free ends connected by a tie-plate C, which rests upon the band C3.

As the ballot is carried forward by the rotation of the drum C beneath the concentric band C3 it causes the fingers C6 and C"y to be pushed out of the grooves or openings in the drum C, thereby rocking the spindles O4 and C5. The rocking motion of the spindle C4 de- 9o presses the arm O8 and rocks the lower tilting guard-plate A3, bringing its forward end above the surface of the feed-board, in position, as shown by the broken lines A, to intercept the passage of a succeeding ballot. The rocking spindle C4 also carries arms D, in the ends of which is jourualed an ink-roll D', which rests in its normal position upon an ink-pad D2, supported on a shelf D3. The rocking motion of the spindle D4 serves to Ioo carry the ink-roll D' into contact with two annular rings of type D", held on the weighted Dictum-roller C', thereby iuking the types D4 as the weighted friction-roller C rotates in contact with the ink-roll D' during the passage of the ballot beneath the fingers O6. The projecting rings of type D'I run in grooves D5 in the drum C to permit the weighted frietion-roller to run in close contact with the drum C. lVhenevera ballotis passed through the machine face glownward the types D4 run in contact with the back of the ballot, printing characters thereon, which serve to cancel it.

rlhe printed characters may be any arbitrarycanceling-marks orthe name of the town or city, with the number of the ward and precinct at which the voting takes place.

'lhe rocking spindle C5, carrying the fingers C, is provided with an arm E, carrying a counterweight E', by which the fingers C9 are held in the grooves C10 of the drum C, with the tie plate C11 in contact with the concentric band C3, by which the tips of the fingers C9 are held outside the band in order to secure the passage of the ballot beneath the fingers O9 and to move them out of their grooves and rock the spindle C5 for the purpose of actuating the counting and registering mechanism F, which may be of any known type or construction.

The counting mechanism shown is arranged to be actuated by the annular movement of a pawl-lever F', carrying a pawlF2, by which the first wheel of the counting mechanism is advanced. one tooth in the usual and wellknown manner in mechanisms of this class. The pawl-lever F is attached to a shaft F, on which the wheels of the counting mechanism turn, and it is actuated by a link F3, pivoted to its free end and provided with a rackbar F, adapted to be raised into engagement with a pinion Fi on the shaft of the drum C. The rack-bar FVl normally rests on a pin or stud FG, projecting from the inside of the frame A, so as to permit a sliding movement of the rack-bar wit-hout its engagement with the pinion F5. Projecting from the under side of the rack-bar F"l is a plate F7, having on one side a flange FS, and extending beneath the flange is a radial arm G, carried by the rocking spindle C5, so that when the'fingers CJ are pushed out of theirgrooves in the drum C by the passage of a ballot, thereby rocking the spindle C5, the free end ot' the arm G is raised, thereby lifting the rack-bar F'1 into engagement with the pinion F5 and causing the rotation of the drum C to impart an angular movement to the pawl-lever F. As the rack-bar is moved by the pinion F5 the flange FS slides above the stud F6 and in the direction to push the pawl-lever F, thereby moving the pawl F2 back to engage another tooth, and on the stud Ffi until the end of the flange passes the stud, when the rack-bar will fall upon the stud F, carrying the teeth of the rack-bar out of engagement with the pinion F5, allowing the pawl-lever F' to be reversed by means of a counterweight H,carried by an arm H,which attached to the opposite end of the shaft to which the pand-lever F' is attached, thereby causing the pa wl F2 to move the first wheel of the counting mechanism forward one tooth. A gong I may be placed in the path of the falling counterweight, so as to be struck as each ballot is coun ted. The length of the rack-bar F'l is sufficient to move the pawl-lever Ff back far enough to cause the pawl F2 to engage a fresh tooth on the first wheel of the counting mechanism, and in case the ballot is so long that it has not then passed free from the fingers O9 the free end of the arm G will be held in its raised position, so that when the rack-bar falls, as represented Ain Fig. 5, it will rest upon the free end of the arm G, which is bent downwardly ai' G to engage the lower end of the flange F8 and act as a pawl to prevent the reversed movelnent of the rack-bar until after the ballot has entirely passed from beneath the fingers C9, thereby preventing the counting of the ballot until after the ballot has been delivered from the rotating drum C.

rlhe free end of the forward member A of the upper tilting` V-shaped guard-plate A6 is arranged in a vertical plane at the rear of the forward end of the lower tilting guard-plato A3, so that when the upper V-sha-ped guardplate is tilted bythe passage of the ballot beneath the rear member A, as shown by the broken lines A10, and thelower guard-plate A is tilted, as shown by the broken lines A11, the free end of the member A5 is carried below the raised end of the guard-plaie A, thereby effectually preventing the admission of the second ballot until the first ballot has passed entirely by the lingers Cf and been delivered from the rotating .drum into the box B. It' an attempt is made to enter a second ballot before the first has been delivered from the machine, its advancing end will either strike the raised end of the lower guardplate A3 and be held from further movement, or if it should pass over the raised end of the lower guardplate A3 it will strike the V- shaped guard-plate A and be deflected upwardly.

Letters Patent No. 52%),l9l, granted to me October 80, 1894, contained upper and lower pivoted guard-plates similar t-o the guardplates A3 and A herein described; butin that patent the two members of the upper guardplate were made to hang on opposite sides of the forward end of' the lowerguard-plate and the forward member of the upper guard-plate performed a function similar to that of the guard-rail A2-viz., to hold the ballot downwhereas in my present machine the upper guard-plate serves to deflect the ballot upward and conduct it out of the machine. In Letters Patent No. 503,626, granted to me August 1893, the counting and registering mechanism were actuated by their operative connection with a rock-shaft having fingers IOO IIO

which entered the grooves of the drum and were arranged to be lifted by the passage of a ballot, whereas in my present machine the counting and registering mechanism are actuated by their operative connection with the shaft of the rotating drum, and means controlled by the ballot are provided for effecting a connection between the drum-shaft and the countingmechanism. I also distribute the pressure over the surface of the ballot by employing two sets of fingers, which are raised by the passage of the ballot on the drum, the first set being employed to rock the ink-roll and the lower tilting guard-plate, as in Patent No. 528,191, and the second set to control the operation of the counting mechanism, and I provide means for holding the counting and registering mechanism in check when long ballots are used, whereas the counting and registering mechanism are held from registeringor striking the gong until after the ballot has been delivered from the drum C. I also provide means in my present machine whereby the ballot is held in contact with the periphery of the drum independently of the fingers C6 and C9. To the lower end of the pawl-lever FQ I pivot one end of' a link J,

which is pivoled at its opposite end with an eye J2, in which is inserted the end of a rod J', which is carried by the rocking spindle C4, so that when the pawl-lever F' is rocked by the engagement of the pinion F5 with the rack-bar F'l, as already described, the spindle Cl will be rocked to carry the ink-roll D' against the type D4.

The passage of a short ballot over the drum C when it is first brought in contact with the fingers C rocks the lower guard-plaie A3 and carries the ink-roll against the type, the free end of the rod J swinging within the eye J2, which is slightly elongated for that purpose; but when the ballot'y has passed beneath the `fingers C" and rocked the spindle C5 the rackbar F4 is carried into engagement with the pinion F5, thereby rocking the pawl-lever F' and by means of' the link J and rod J holding the ink-roll D' in Contact with the type. In case a long ballot is used the end G of the arm G rocks the rack-bar F4 against its re versed movement, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby holding the ink-roll in contact with the type until the ballot has entirely passed the fingers C. The drum C is held against backward movement by means of a roll K, resting on an inclined shelf IC, as shown and described in my former patent, No. 528,191, already referred to.

I do not wish to confine myself to the specific construction and arrangement of the several parts of the machine as herein described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, as the same may be modified in many particulars without departing from the scope of my present invention. y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of afeed-table on which the ballot is presented to the machine, a tilting guard-plate below said feed-table and arranged to be raised into the path of the ballot as it lies on said feed-table, an n pper guardplate pivoted above said lower guard-plate and having an inclined member arranged to be depressed at the rear of said lower guardplate, whereby a ballot when pushed over the raised end of said lower guard-plate is deflected upwardly by the inclined member of said npperguard-plate, substantially described.

2. The combination with a feed-table, of a tilting guard-plate A3 and a guard-plate A6 pivoted above the guard-plate A3, with its forward member at the rear of the forward end of the plate A3, substantially as described.

The combination with a feed-table, of a drum and a friction-roll, between which a ballot is seized and drawn from said feed-table, pivoted fingers extending over the periphery of said drum, and means, concentric with said drum, for holding the ballot in contact with said drum after it passes said friction-roll, and carrying it under the ends of said pivoted fingers, snbstaixtially as described.

4. The combination with a grooved drum by which the ballotis fed forward, of a band held concentrically with said drum to hold the ballot in contact therewith, pivoted fingers entering the grooves of said drum and arranged to be lifted out of said grooves by the passage of a ballot, a tilting guard-plate operatively connected with said pivoted fingers, a registering mechanism and a second set of pivoted fingers operatively connected with said registering mechanism and entering the grooves of said drum, with the free ends of said fingers normally extending outside said band, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the grooved drum, fingers attached to a rock-shaft and entering said grooves, with the ends of said fingers normally projecting beyond the periphery of said drum, whereby the advancing` end of the ballot is conducted beneath the free ends of said lingers and made to move said fingers out of said grooved drum, thereby rocking said shaft, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a grooved drum, a rock-shaft, fingers attached to said rock-shaft and entering the grooves in said drum, with the free ends of said fingers projecting beyond the periphery of the drum, a tie-piece connecting the free ends of said fingers and means for holding said tie-piece away from said drum, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a grooved drum, a band held concentrically with said drum, whereby the ballot is held against the periphery of the drum, a rock-shaft, fingers attached to said rock-shaft and entering said grooves with the free ends of said fingers projecting beyond said band, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a drum, a shaft rotating with said drum, a pinion held on said shaft, a registering mechanism comprising a IOO IIO

vibrating lever, and provided with rack-teeth arranged to engage said pinion, to move said lever in one direction as the drum is rotated, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a drum, a shaft rotating with said drum, a registering mechanism rotating with said drum, means comprising a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism for actuating said registering mechanisnnand means controlled by the passage of a ballot over said drum for operatively connecting said pawland ratchet mechanism and said rotating shaft, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a drnln, a shaft rotating with said drum, of a pinion carried by said shaft, a rackadapted to be moved into engagement with said pinion to actuatc said registering mechanism, means controlled by the passage of a ballot over said drum, whereby said rack is carried into engagement with said pinion and released therefrom by the passage of a ballot over the drum, substantially as described.

11. The combination of a grooved drum, a shaft rotating with said drum, a rock-shaft, fingers carried by said rock-shaft and entering the grooves in said drum, and arranged to be moved therefrom by a ballot passing over said drum, whereby said rock-shaftis rocked, a registering mechanism, interinediate connecting mechanism between said registering mechanism and said shaft, and means controlled by said rock-shaft by which said intermediate mechanism and said rotating shaft are operatively connected, substantially as described.

12. The combination of a drum, a shaft rotated with said drum, a pinion carried by said shaft, a rack adapted to engage said pinion, means controlled by the passage of a ballot over said drum for carrying said rack into engagement with said pinion, means for holding said rack in engagement with said pinion independently of the ballot, actuated by the movement of said rack, substantially as described.

13. The combination with the drum, and a shaft rotated thereby, of a pinion carried by said shaft, arack normally out of engagement with said pinion, a rock shaft, means for rocking said shaft controlled by the passage of a ballot over said drum, an arm carried by said rock-shaft and arranged to lift the rack into engagement with said pinion, and hold said rack against reverse movement until released by the passage of the ballot over the drum and a registering mechanism operatively connected with said rack, substantially as described.

14. The combination of the drum and a shaft rotated with said drum, of a pinion carried by said shaft, a rack adapted to engage said pinion, means controlled by the ballot for carrying said rack into engagement with said pinion, a fixed stud, a flange on said rack arranged to slide on said stud, and hold the rack in engagement with said pinion, and a registering mechanism operatively connected with said rack, substantially as described.

15. The combination of a drum, a type-roll arranged to run in contact with a ballot pass` ing over said drum, an ink-roll normally held out of contact withsaid type-roll, means for carrying said ink-roll into contact with said type-roll and comprising a rock-shaft, an arm projecting from said rock-shaft, a link operatively connecting said arm with a vibrating lever, a second link pivotally connected with said vibrating lever and provided with rack-teeth, a pinion adapted to engage said rack-teeth and carry the ink-rollin to contact with the type-roll, substantially as described.

16. The combination ofa drum, means for holding the ballot in contact with the drinn, a shaft rotating with said drum, a registering mechanism, means for actuating said registering mechanism comprising a vibrating lever, means actuated by said shaft for moving said lever in one direction, a weight for reversing the motion of said lever and actuating the registering mechanism controlled by the ballot, means for operatively connecting said shaft and said lever, and means for disconnecting said shaft and said lever when the ballot has passed over said drum, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication, in presence of two subscribing witnesses,this 21st day of November, 1899.

EDVARD K. TOLMAN.

Vitnesses:

RUFUs B. FOWLER, AVA T. MURPHY. 

